Whacky Idea: Go Directly To The Richest 400

Filed in National by on January 29, 2014

Here’s a whacky idea that may not be totally crazy.  This is inspired by the 2014 SOTU brilliantly delivered by my President.

Given that the 435 members of congress are basically unreachable and unmovable and to get anything done with them will continue to cost a fortune through public interest lobbying, let’s bypass them as the President suggests.

Let’s raise money through Move On and a few other public interest organizations and buy 400 plane tickets for the Richest 400, fly them to DC, put them up in a luxury hotel there, bring the best and brightest economists from around the U.S., including Robert Reich and Paul Krugman and run a weekend seminar.  Certainly they have the time, if not the inclination.

The host?  President Obama.  Pitch them on the damage income inequality is doing to our nation and their own well being and further accumulation of wealth.  Pitch them on a modest tax increase and higher tax rate for a few years.  Then, turn them loose, one on one to the 435 members of Congress.  Let them lobby, along with their colleagues Warren Buffet and George Soros, to go into session and schedule that tax increase.

This will be alot cheaper and less frustrating than convincing Boehner and the Republican leadership via conventional means.  Whacky?  Utterly Crazy?  Maybe but what the hell.  It actually might work.  Republican democracy isn’t working, so direct democracy might.

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  1. jason330 says:

    I’m not paying for Koch to fly to DC. Otherwise, I love it.

  2. Dana says:

    The richest 400 already understand economics; that’s why they’re rich! And a lot of them don’t trust President Obama and the Democrats, and certainly aren’t fans of Mr Obama’s economic policies.

  3. jason330 says:

    Very good. You scored a rhetorical point for your masters today. I’m sure they deeply appreciate it.

  4. Dana says:

    In other words, you have no real response.

  5. cassandra m says:

    His response was more than adequate to the canned talking point that you offered here. But rich people everywhere are grateful for your service.

  6. Dana says:

    Well, Cassandra, beyond calling it a “caned talking point,” where do you actually disagree?

    How many of the wealthiest 400 that PP suggested ought to be invited would support the President on something like this? The answer is obviously more than zero, because you’ve got people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in that group, but just how close to 400 do you believe it would be?

  7. cassandra m says:

    The richest 400 already understand economics; that’s why they’re rich!

    So what about those of this 400 who inherited their wealth? You don’t need any economics to inherit money.

    See why this is a turkey shoot? And why no one cares about this canned bit of business some Fox News Head said? You’ll need to work a little harder here for the engagement meter to work .

    Besides, I’m quite certain you do not know the difference between economics and money management.

  8. kavips says:

    Even I would agree with Dana if we taxed the rich enough. Since we lost 5% off the top with Bush (from 40 to 35) over the fourteen years since his election, we’ve lost (playing mathematics very roughly) 14 X 5 or 70% of what we should have gotten, had Gore got more.

    Therefore, raise the top marginal rate on those over $100 million, up to 70% and hold it there until we again, whenever it is, reach the point were we have Federal Budget Surpluses … “as far as the eye can see…”

    Even I would then encourage the wealthy to make tons of money…..

  9. fightingbluehen says:

    “brilliantly delivered by my President.”

    That’s really creepy. You’re one step away from worshiping this man aren’t you?